Marvin X facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Marvin X
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| Born | Marvin Ellis Jackmon May 29, 1944 Fowler, California United States |
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| Education | Merritt College San Francisco State University |
Marvin X (born Marvin Ellis Jackmon; May 29, 1944) is a talented poet, playwright, and essayist. He was born in Fowler, California. He later chose the Muslim name El Muhajir, which means "the expatriate" in Arabic. His creative work is closely connected to the Black Arts Movement of the 1960s. This movement was a time when African American artists expressed their culture and identity through art.
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Early Life and Family
Marvin X grew up in Fresno and Oakland. His family was very active in their community. He graduated from Thomas Alva Edison High School in Fresno in 1962. His parents published a newspaper called the Fresno Voice. This newspaper was owned by Black Americans in Fresno, California.
The Fresno Voice newspaper shared news about community events and local businesses. It also focused on important national and state issues. For example, it supported laws to protect people's rights. It also highlighted events like Jackie Robinson Day, celebrating the famous baseball player.
Role in the Black Arts Movement
Marvin X is known as a key writer and playwright of the Black Arts Movement. This movement was an important part of the larger Black Power movement in the 1960s. It was a time when Black artists used their creativity to promote Black culture and pride.
Education and Teaching
Marvin X attended Merritt College. There, he met important activists like Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale. He later earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in English from San Francisco State University.
He has shared his knowledge by teaching at many colleges and universities. These include San Francisco State University, UC Berkeley, and Mills College. He has also given lectures at places like Howard University and New York University.
Artistic Contributions
Marvin X became a strong voice in the Black Arts Movement in the late 1960s. He wrote for many of the movement's main journals. He also helped start important art centers on the West Coast. These included Oakland's Black House and San Francisco's Black Arts/West Theatre. He worked with other artists, including playwright Ed Bullins.
In 1967, Marvin X joined the Nation of Islam. He became known as El Muhajir. In the 1980s, he organized important events like the Melvin Black Forum on Human Rights. He also created the first Annual All Black Men's Conference.
He also worked with Eldridge Cleaver, a former Black Panther. Marvin X founded the San Francisco's Recovery Theatre in 1999. His play, One Day in the Life, became a very popular African-American drama in Northern California. In 2004, he organized the San Francisco Tenderloin Book Fair. He has taught many subjects, including Black Studies, drama, and creative writing.
Marvin X has published 30 books. These include essays, poems, plays, and his autobiography, Somethin' Proper. Some of his notable books are Fly to Allah and Beyond Religion, Toward Spirituality. In 2011, the UC Berkeley Bancroft Library collected his important papers. Marvin X continues to be an active educator, writer, and producer today.
Awards and Recognition
Marvin X has received several awards and honors for his work:
- PEN Oakland, Reginald Lockett Lifetime Achievement Award, 2015
- The City and County of San Francisco declared "Marvin X Day" in 2001.
- Life Member, California Scholarship Federation, Honor Society
- National Endowment for the Arts Writing Fellowship, 1972
- National Endowment for the Humanities Planning Grants, 1979
